Storage Technology Corporation

Dot Hill Systems Corporation

Copan System, Inc.

James Boyd Lenehan

Charles Allen Milligan

Stephen S Selkirk

Perry Wayde Merritt

Edward T Gladstone

George Alexander Kalwitz

Kenneth L Willis

Ian Davies

Aloke Guha

Kelly E Long

Ian Robert Davies

A SAS expander adaptively configures a Serial-Attached-SCSI (SAS) PHY to accommodate varying lengths of a cable coupling the PHY to a remote PHY. The expander (a) configures the SAS PHY with settings of an entry of a table of PHY configuration settings, each entry in the table having different PHY configuration setting values; (b) clears a counter; (c) operates the PHY to communicate with the remote PHY for a monitoring period, after configuring the PHY and clearing the counter; (d) increments the counter when the PHY detects a PHY event during the monitoring period, and otherwise decrements the counter; (e) repeats steps (c) and (d) unless the counter rises above a threshold; and (f) when the counter rises above the threshold, repeats steps (a) through (e), wherein step (a) is performed with the settings of a different entry of the table.

Adaptive SAS PHY configuration

A SAS expander includes SAS PHYs for transceiving signals with SAS devices on corresponding SAS links coupled to the SAS PHYs. The SAS expander includes status registers that provide fault detection parameters concerning communications on the SAS links. A microprocessor of the SAS expander identifies faulty communications on one of the SAS links, based on the fault detection parameters, and disables a corresponding one of the SAS PHYs coupled to the SAS link on which the microprocessor identified the faulty communications. The microprocessor may also report the PHY disabling to a SAS initiator. The microprocessor may also re-enable the PHY after corrective action is taken, such as in response to user input, an indication from a SAS device, or automatically detecting the corrective action. The expander may also automatically take the corrective action. The fault detection parameters may include error counters and corresponding thresholds, interrupt indicators, and state values.

Fault-isolating SAS expander

An apparatus and a method for improving the fault tolerance of storage systems by replacing disk drives, which are about to fail, are disclosed. The set of disk drives in a storage system are monitored to identify failing disk drives. A processing unit identifies the failing disk drive and selects a spare disk drive to replace the failing disk drive. The selected spare disk drive is powered on, and data from the failing disk drive is copied to the selected spare disk drive. A memory unit stores attributes and sensor data for the disk drives in the storage system. The attributes and sensor data are used by the processing unit to identify a failing disk drive. Attributes for disk drives are obtained by using SMART, and sensor data is obtained from environmental sensors such as temperature and vibration sensors.

Method and apparatus for efficient fault-tolerant disk drive replacement in raid storage systems

A system is provided to support dynamically changeable virtual mapping schemes in a data processing system. The present invention separates processing of data unit requirements from the selection of which storage subsystems to use for storage by using a storage methodologies inventory. A stored data management subsystem contains one or more hosts. A plurality of data storage elements is functionally coupled to the one or more hosts. The plurality of data storage elements is organized using a plurality of layers of mapping tables. The plurality of layers of mapping tables provides unique identification of location of the data such that individual data entries in a mapping table is variable and self-defining with respect to the amount of data managed.

Dynamically changeable virtual mapping scheme

A virtual stored data management system is provided. In one embodiment, the management system includes one or more hosts and a plurality of data storage elements functionally coupled to the hosts. Each data storage element includes a host network attachment, data transfer means, a storage controller, and permanent data storage media. The permanent data storage media is organized with management information uniquely associated with units of the data such that the management information may be manipulated in several different locations within the management system substantially simultaneously. Thus, the organization of the management processes allows for the management information to be processed, used, changed, or modified in several different locations within the management system at any particular instance. Provision is made for the internal processes to discover the current location of the processing, for the location to be changed as directed, and for the processing to be kept consistent when done in more than one place simultaneously.

Growing community of inventors

Erie, CO, United States of America

James Boyd Lenehan